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Vegetables: Nutritious Food Sources Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan #: AELP-NUT0200

Source: School Library Media Activities Monthly, (6:9, May 1990)


Grade Levels: 2, 3

Subject(s):

  • Health/Nutrition
  • Information Literacy

Library Media Skill Objectives: The student will use encyclopedias, almanacs, and nutrition books to find information on vitamins and minerals contained in vegetables. Curriculum (subject area) Objectives: The activity may be used separately or in connection with a health unit on nutrition or food, for students in grades two or three.

Resources:

Encyclopedias

Books about Food and Vegetables
Professional and Reference Materials
Composition of Foods: Vegetable Products : Raw, Processed,
Prepared. U. S. Department of Agriculture, 1984.
Dictionary of Food Ingredients. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1983.
Foods and Nutrition Encyclopedia. CRC, 1994. Handbook of Nutritional Content of Food . U. S. Department of Agriculture,1975.
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition . McGraw-Hill, 1977.
The Nutrition and Health Encyclopedia. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1981.
The Nutrition Desk Reference. Keats, 1985.
The Penguin Encyclopedia of Nutrition. Penguin, 1986.
The Prentice-Hall Dictionary of Nutrition and Health. Prentice-Hall, 1985.
The World Encyclopedia of Food. Facts on File, 1982. Instructional Roles:

The library media specialist and classroom teacher may use this activity cooperatively or independently. The activity may be completed in two sessions.

Activity and Procedures for Completion: The library media specialist may set up a display of fresh vegetables on a table. The vegetables may be discussed — their taste, how they are prepared, and why they are good to eat.
The library media specialist may provide a handout which lists the many vitamins and minerals which are important for good health, as well as examples of vegetables in which they are present:

Vitamin

A
Helps maintain health skin, aids vision,
and helps bones grow carrots
B1
Helps the nervous system

peas
B2
Helps change carbohydrates into energy

kale
B6
Helps form certain proteins

peas
B12
Helps form red blood cells

C
Helps bones, capillaries, and teeth

tomatoes
D
Helps maintain teeth and bones

E
Protects vitamin A

K
Helps in blood clotting
cabbage
Biotin
Helps release energy

Folic
Helps form hemoglobin

spinach
Acid
Niacin
Helps transform carbohydrates to energy
peas
Panto-thenic
Acid
Helps form hormones

peas

Worksheet (Pictures of vegetables such as beets, green beans, okra, kale, lettuce, carrots, radishes, corn, tomatoes, peppers, brussell sprout, broccolli, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, peas, etc. may be provided. Or use seed catalogs or weekly grocery adsfor students to cut up.)

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Nutritional Values of Vegetables Directions:

Look for pictures of the vegetables. Cut out pictures of at least two vegetables and paste them in the space provided on the worksheet. Use encyclopedias and reference books about foods to check the major nutrients which each vegetable contains. On the lists below the pictures of the vegetables, write the name of the vegetables you have chosen beside at least two vitamins and minerals contained in the vegetables.

Paste vegetable one here.

Paste vegetable two here.

Vitamins

A (retinol)
B1 (thiamine)
B2 (riboflavin)
B6 (pyridoxine)
B12
C (Ascorbic Acid)
D (Calciferol)
E (Tocopherol)
K (Phylloquinone)
Biotin
Folic Acid
Niacin
Pantothenic Acid

Minerals

Calcium
Chloride
Fluoride
Iodine
Iron
Magnesium
Phosphorus
Potassium
Sodium
Zinc

Select one of the vegetables and write a sentence about what nutritional value the vitamin or mineral has for your body.

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The students may use almanacs, encyclopedias, and books on foods and nutrition to look up each vegetable and find information about the major vitamins and minerals it contains.

Evaluation:

The student will complete the worksheet on vegetables, identifying at least one major vitamin and mineral contained in five specific vegetables.

Follow-Up: The student may:

  • List other nutrients contained in the five vegetables.
  • Make a chart of vegetables which contain large amounts of each vitamin.
  • Develop a weekly menu listing the vegetables which provide all necessary vitamins and minerals.

These integrated lesson plans and suggestions for teaching library and information skills in connection with various classroom subject areas are provided by LMS Associates and were originally published in School Library Media Activities Monthly. Lessons may be used for the non-commercial purpose of education. All materials are held in copyright by LMS Associates for the magazine, School Library Media Activities Monthly. For more information, contact, LMS Associates; 17 E. Henrietta Street; Baltimore, MD 21230 410-685-8621.